Introduction to the Letter of James

 James -- who wrote the Letter or Epistle of James -- was a practical man. He had seen hypocrisy -- in himself, in the Pharisees, in everyday Christians -- and he would have none of it. His letter to the early Christian churches is practical and convicting. He talks about heart Christianity worked out in actions. He discusses love and then insists that Christian love cannot just say compassionate words to the hungry -- love must feed them.

James was Jesus' brother, a son of Joseph and Mary. During Jesus' ministry he was a skeptic, but eventually he became one of the leading elders of the Church at Jerusalem and help set the tone for the entire emerging Christian movement.

Whenever I read the Letter of James, I find myself being convicted. James has a way of slicing through all my rationalizations and defenses, and speaking to my heart with power. Is not like any other epistle, it jumps from one subject to another, like the book of proverbs.

 

The Letter of James is one of those no-nonsense New Testament books. James tells it like it is with no holds barred. He doesn't seem concerned that he'll offend someone. He just says it. I've found that the Letter of James is a great place in which to mine and refine practical Christian living.

General Epistle

The Epistle of James is included among the "General" or "Catholic" epistles, since the exact recipient church is not specified. Rather, it seems to have a more general audience, a letter to the whole Church. It is addressed "to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations." The term "twelve tribes" is reminiscent of the 12 tribes of Israel, but it is pretty clear he isn't addressing primarily Jews, but followers of Jesus. So the "twelve tribes" are more figurative, and the expression seems to view the believers as a kind of New Israel and a New Diaspora in the world.

Authorship

Some in the early church felt that the Letter of James was pseudepigraphic, that is, the ascription of a false name of an author to the work.

While early church historian Eusebius (c. 263 - c. 339) regarded the Epistle as canonical (i.e., authoritative Scripture), he says,   "The first of the Epistles styled Catholic is said to be by James the Lord's brother; but it ought to be known that it is held by some to be spurious. Certainly not too many ancient writers have mentioned it."    Def. Spurious  1. Not proceeding from the true or claimed source; not genuine; false. 2. Of illegitimate birth.

Jerome (c. 348 - c. 420), great translator of the Latin Vulgate Bible, wrote: "James, who is called the Lord's brother, wrote one Epistle only, which is one of the seven catholic Epistles, which, it is asserted, was published under his name by another, although little by little as time went on it obtained authority."

Ultimately, the Church came to accept the Epistle not only as apostolic, but also that it should be attributed to James, as one of great leadership of the early church at Jerusalem.

Most believe James became a believer as a direct result of the resurrection of Christ:

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles..." (1 Corinthians 15:7).

This James was one of the only apostles that Paul met after his conversion (Galatians 1:19), But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother.

James figured prominently in the Jerusalem Council outlined in Acts 15.

He was referred to by Hegesippus (c. 180) as "James the Just," because of his faithful observance of the Jewish law.

The other prominent James mentioned in the New Testament was the brother of John, one of the sons of  Zebedee, and a member of Jesus' inner circle of "Peter, James, and John."

However, he was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I in 44 AD (Acts 12:2).

Date of the Epistle

Assuming we accept the Letter's authorship by James the Just, the brother of Jesus, it could have been written any time between 40 and 60 AD, but probably closer to 60 AD.

Criticisms

Many who do not believe things taught in James have to find a reason for their unbelief:

Can fall from grace, once saved, always saved:  

James 1:14   But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

James 5:19-20  Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins

Faith only:

James 2:14  What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

James 2:20  faith without works is dead

Luther's Criticism                     1 example

Martin Luther was hard on James

the letter didn't fit closely enough to his carefully defined doctrine of sola fide, "only faith." James says "faith without works is dead" (2:17, 26),   that was a bit much for the Reformer.

               He wrote about the Letter:

"In fine, Saint John's Gospel and his first Epistle, Saint Paul's Epistles, especially those to the Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, and Saint Peter's first Epistle, -- these are the books which show thee Christ, and teach thee everything that is needful and blessed for thee to know even though thou never see or hear any other book or doctrine. Therefore is Saint James's Epistle a right strawy Epistle in comparison with them, for it has no gospel character to it." (from Luther's introduction to the 1522 edition of his German New Testament, Ropes' translation)

As we study the Letter, we'll see that James' divergence from Paul's salvation by grace doctrine is verbal, but not actual or real.

And Luther to the contrary, I've found James a very challenging part of my growth as a disciple. He doesn't allow me to hide behind my profession of faith, deceiving myself. He challenges me to live out my faith in my everyday actions, by a love for the helpless, a controlled tongue, earnest prayer, and a concern for the wandering. I greatly enjoy and am chastened by the Letter of James. I hope the same for you.

 

This is how our study will be broken down:

 

1. Experiencing Joy in Trials (1:1-18)

 The Value of Trials (1:2-4)

Crown of Life (1:12)

The Nature of Temptations (1:13-15)

Evil Inside (1:14)

The Inner Battle

Double-Mindedness (1:5-11)

The Unchangeable Father (1:16-17)

Ask God for Wisdom (1:5)

He Chose to Give Us Birth (1:18)

 

2. Hearing and Practicing the Word (1:18-27)

Being Born through the Word (1:18)

Preferring the Word to Moral Filth (1:19-21)

Letting the Word Save Us (1:21)

Listening to and Practicing the Word (1:22)

Forgetting What the Mirror Shows (1:23-24)

Experiencing the Freedom of the Word (1:25)

Living Out the Word's Teaching in Practical Ways (1:26-27)

Spiritual Pollution (1:27b)

Hearing the Living Word and Doing It

 

3. Forsaking Favoritism for Love (2:1-13)

Partiality in the Church (2:1-3)

Definitions

Judges with Selfish and Evil Motives (2:4)

Poor and Rich in God's Kingdom (2:5-7; 1:9-11)

The Royal Law, the King's Law (2:8)

Self-Centered Lawbreakers (2:9-11)

The Law that Liberates (2:12)

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment (2:13)

 

4. Energizing Your Faith by Works (2:14-26)

Bare Faith (2:14-18)

Feeding the Poor (2:15-16)

The Faith of Demons (2:18-19)

Potential Faith

Illustrations from the Scripture (2:20-26)

Works verse Grace Controversy

Luther and the Reformers

 

5. Attaining Tongue-Taming Wisdom (3:1-18)

The Peril of Teachers (3:1-2)

Remedy 1: Bridle the Tongue -- Self Control (3:2)

Small Cause, Large Effects (3:3-5)

Destructive Power of the Tongue (3:6-8)

Set on Fire by Hell (3:6b)

The Untamable Tongue (3:7-8)

Out of the Same Mouth (3:9-12)

Remedy 2: Purify the Heart -- An Inner Humility

Humility, Envy, and Selfishness (3:13-16)

Heavenly Wisdom (3:17)

Peacemaking Words (3:18)

 

6. Submitting Yourself to God (4:1-12)

Fights and Quarrels (4:1-2)

Hedonism as a Way of Life (4:3)

Flirting with Spiritual Adultery (4:4)

Envying Intensely (4:5)

Grace to the Humble (4:6)

Submitting Yourself to God (4:7-10)

Critics and Pickers (4:11-12)

 

7. Learning Patience in an Instant Age (4:13-5:12)

The Lord Willing (4:13-16)

Impatience with the Lord's Will

The Good We Ought to Do (4:17)

Impatience of the Wealthy (5:1-6)

The Coming of the Lord (5:7-8)

Patience and Endurance

Patience for the Early and Latter Rains (5:7)

Patience vs. Grumbling (5:9)

Patience of the Prophets and Job (5:10-11)

Patience with Our Words (5:12)

Be Patient

 

8. Praying the Prayer of Faith (5:13-20)

Faith to Ask for Prayer (5:13-14)

Elders of the Church (5:14)

Anointing with Oil (5:14)

In the Name of the Lord (5:14)

Prayer Offered in Faith (5:15)

Healing and Forgiveness (5:15c-16)

The Power of Confession (5:16)

Prayer of a Righteous Man (5:16b-18)

Bring Back Wandering Brothers and Sisters (5:19-20)